Dakota Recreation Report

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Outdoor notes

- Salmon anglers are encouraged to submit tagged fish to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department

- Friday: Archery deer and mountain lion seasons open.

- Saturday: Dove season opens.

- Sept. 7 and 8: Youth waterfowl hunting clinic, Ducks Unlimited office, Bismarck. Call 701-355-3500 for free registration.

- Sept. 7: Missouri River Zone early Canada goose season closes.

- Sept. 8: Friends of the NRA banquet, Beulah, Grandview Steakhouse, 5:30 p.m.

- Sept. 8: Grouse, partridge and squirrel seasons open.

- Sept. 14: Youth deer season opens.

- Sept. 15 and 16: Youth waterfowl season.

- Sept. 15: Sandhill crane season opens.

- Sept. 15: Remainder of the state closes for early Canada goose season.

Tournaments

- Sept. 8 and 9: Nelson Lake.

- Sept. 8: Lake Sakakawea, Beulah Bay; Missouri River, Kimball Bottoms.

Fishing

- NDGF Department District game wardens: Improving white bass success on Lake Tschida. Fish cleaning station is fixed. OK walleye success on the Missouri River. Lake Sakakawea fair to good for salmon. Try the face of the dam over to Deadmans Bay and the old river channel. New Town and Van Hook Arm slowed with the lake turning. Lake Audubon fair for walleye.

- Beulah, Dakota Waters Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Fewer anglers on the water but those going out are finding walleye success throughout the area on both sides on the lake. Try 12 to 40 feet.

- Bismarck, Dakota Tackle, Missouri River/area lakes: Lake Sakakawea continues producing good numbers of salmon. Try running as deep as 100 to 110 feet but look for fish to move up soon. Some salmon are up to 12 pounds. Work deep in 30 to 40 feet for walleye on Lake Sakakawea. Missouri River tailrace remains good for walleye. Lake Audubon fair for walleye.

- Dickinson, Andrus Outdoors, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Fewer anglers on Lake Sakakawea but those going found walleye in 18 to 30 feet using nightcrawlers and minnows. Fish are scattered so move around throughout much of the lake. Fish are running 13 to 17 inches in the Little Missouri Arm with bigger fish in the bigger water. Camels Hump Dam fair for trout but good bluegill success. Try bobber and sinkers from shore. Indian Creek Dam slow for walleye; fair for perch. Lake Tschida improving somewhat for walleye but they remain small in size. Patterson Lake continues producing pike casting spoons from.

- Dickinson, Runnings Farm and Fleet, Lake Sakakawea/area lakes: Lake Sakakawea slow to fair for walleye. Work deeper in 30 to 50 feet using crankbaits around Beaver Creek and Beulah Bay. Also try Lindy rigs and leeches. Tunnel Point remains good using crankbaits or spinners with nightcrawlers. Missouri River tailrace continues producing walleye with improving success during the day. Look for good nighttime success with the bright moon. Lake Tschida remains fair for small walleye but no reports from other area lakes.

- Garrison, Cenex Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea: Work deeper on the east end of Lake Sakakawea west to Douglas Bay in 25 to 45 feet with spinners, Lindy rigs and deep-diving crankbaits. Missouri River remains fair for walleye with best success still at night or early in the morning. Limited reports from Lake Audubon but move around and try a variety of depths.

- Garrison, Indian Hills Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Continued fair to good walleye success with fish scattered in 15 to 30 feet. Try spinners and nightcrawlers working ledges along both sides of the lake.

- Glen Ullin, Fitterer’s Inc., Lake Tschida: Limited activity on Lake Tschida.

- Mandan, Southside MVP, Missouri River/area lakes: Missouri River remains slow.

- Mandaree, McKenzie Bay Marina, Lake Sakakawea: Anglers working both directions up and down the Little Missouri Arm in 12 to 30 feet for walleye with fair success. Try spinners and nightcrawlers with a minnow bite starting.

- Pick City, Scott’s Bait and Tackle, Lake Sakakawea/Missouri River: Lake Sakakawea salmon success remains good with nice numbers of fish taken. Try 80 to 110 feet with flashers and squids or herring with or without flashers. A few are shallower, too. Most success is around Deadmans Bay to the spillway. Look for action to move to the face of the dam in coming weeks. Fish are nice-sized. Continued walleye success but fish are more scattered so move around using Lindy rigs, spinners and bottom bouncers or crankbaits. Try nightcrawlers or plastics. Missouri River walleye success is scattered during the day. Look for a switch to minnows soon but most success is still with Lindy rigs or spinners and bottom bouncers and nightcrawlers during the day. Try down river. Catfish success continues during the day in the chutes with a smattering of trout and salmon. Night bite for a variety of species remains good in the chutes using 3-way swivels and crankbaits or plastics. Shore-fishing success is slower.

- New Town, Scenic 23, Lake Sakakawea: Spotty success with the lake turning and fewer anglers on the water.

- Watford City, One-Stop, Lake Sakakawea: Continued fair success on Lake Sakakawea.

- Watford City, Tobacco Garden Resort, Lake Sakakawea: Continued good walleye success with nice-sized fish taken. Try a variety of presentations with most anglers working east of the resort. Good number of nice-sized pike, as well.

North Dakota rivers streamflow and river stage

- Bear Den Creek, Mandaree: Creek stage, 3.56 feet; streamflow, 1.5 CFS.

- Cannonball River, Regent: River stage, 4.63 feet.

- Green River, New Hradec: River stage, 5.81 feet; streamflow, 0.22 CFS.

- Heart River, Richardton: River stage, 4.59 feet; streamflow, 4.6 CFS.

- Knife River, Manning: River stage, 5.83 feet; streamflow, 0.56 CFS.

- Little Missouri River, Marmath: River stage, 1.51 feet; streamflow, 5.9 CFS.

- Little Missouri River, Medora: River stage, 1.87 feet streamflow, 26 CFS.

- Little Missouri River, Trotters: River stage, 1.77 feet; streamflow, 2.8 CFS.

- Missouri River, Williston: River stage, 13.81 feet.

- Missouri River, Stanton: River stage, 9.06 feet.

- Missouri River, Bismarck: Streamflow, 24,600 CFS.

- Yellowstone River, Sidney, Mont.: River stage, 3.03 feet; streamflow, 1,850 CFS.

Hunting

- NDGF Department game wardens: Remember to get HIP-certified before dove hunting. Doves are bunching. Look for fair numbers in some areas of west-central N.D.

- Southwest North Dakota: Lots of doves for the opener and good interest in the archery deer season but deer numbers remain low in many areas. Limited goose opportunities with better success around Bismarck, Beulah or Hazen.

- West-central North Dakota: Doves are bunching and look for continued movement, although some birds will stick around until cold weather snap occurs.

Numbers to know

- NDGF Department main Bismarck office: 701-328-6300; website (http://gf.nd.gov).

- NDGF Department Dickinson office: 701-227-7431.

- Report All Poachers: 800-472-2121.

- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bismarck, website: (www.fws.gov/northdakotafieldoffice).

Patricia Stockdill

Tags: rec report, dakota recreation report, outdoors